New Delhi:
After getting a Congress ticket for the Maharashtra elections, President Pratibha Patil's son, speaking exclusively to NDTV, Rajendra Shekhawat has said that the President's name being dragged into the controversy by his political opponents.
He has said that he has been working for the Congress for the last 10 years and has every right to fight election.
Sources say Shekhawat will contest from Amravati.
The decision comes despite much discontentment in the party over election tickets for sons and daughters of senior leaders. Shekhawat's is one of 159 names that Congress president Sonia Gandhi has now cleared; others include sons of Vilasrao Deshmukh, Vilas Muttemmwar, Narayan Rane and Patangrao Kadam, and the daughter of Sushil Kumar Shinde.
Shekhwat's ticket was the biggest challenge for the Congress high command, because Sunil Deshmukh, the sitting MLA from Amravati, is a minister and also a two-time winner. Deshmukh has now turned rebel and will contest against Shekhawat.
"I am disappointed with the Congress leadership. I thought good sense would prevail. It appears there was a lot of pressure from Rashtrapati Bhawan," he said after the announcement.
Deshmukh has been the Amravati MLA for 10 years now. He has been credited with a lot of work in the constituency.
Earlier in the day, a disturbed Deshmukh told NDTV, "The only reason for him to get ticket is that he is the son of an influential family. I will be a sad and shocked man if Congress doesn't nominate me."
He has said that he has been working for the Congress for the last 10 years and has every right to fight election.
Sources say Shekhawat will contest from Amravati.
The decision comes despite much discontentment in the party over election tickets for sons and daughters of senior leaders. Shekhawat's is one of 159 names that Congress president Sonia Gandhi has now cleared; others include sons of Vilasrao Deshmukh, Vilas Muttemmwar, Narayan Rane and Patangrao Kadam, and the daughter of Sushil Kumar Shinde.
Shekhwat's ticket was the biggest challenge for the Congress high command, because Sunil Deshmukh, the sitting MLA from Amravati, is a minister and also a two-time winner. Deshmukh has now turned rebel and will contest against Shekhawat.
"I am disappointed with the Congress leadership. I thought good sense would prevail. It appears there was a lot of pressure from Rashtrapati Bhawan," he said after the announcement.
Deshmukh has been the Amravati MLA for 10 years now. He has been credited with a lot of work in the constituency.
Earlier in the day, a disturbed Deshmukh told NDTV, "The only reason for him to get ticket is that he is the son of an influential family. I will be a sad and shocked man if Congress doesn't nominate me."
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